Thank you readers for sending me hot tips on the local restaurant scene. Maggie Matthews deserves the credit for letting me know that Patricia and Alberto Rodriguez have a new venture, serving their homemade Greek, American and Mexican specialties at their new Patty’s Café in La Mesa. The charming couple is well known in the area, first as employees at Franks Happy Chef on Mission ...

I have been keeping a keen eye on the culinary developments on and along Morena Boulevard and I must say it just keeps getting better every year, with new places popping up on a regular basis — check the special Marvelous Morena pages in this section today for complete details. Well, every year there’s a popular and fun event designed specifically for you to have ...

About 17 miles north of Oceanside is a place with something for everyone — a haven for folks who are hungry/thirsty, fans of horse racing, and lovers of lively music and dancing. Welcome to the OC Tavern, Southern California’s first mini-satellite horse-wagering sports bar. More of these operations are on the way but for now it’s one-of-a-kind. This remarkable venue is owned and operated by ...

Come celebrate the 24th anniversary of the fabulous Rock n’ Jenny’s Italian Subs in Escondido through the rest of April and enjoy one of their signature sandwiches, the 6” Famous Turkey Sub, for only $2.99! No coupon is needed for this deal, which is a rollback to the 1989 price (today it’s $4.25). In 1989, Jenny Baldino opened her doors and quickly saw her little ...

For an incredible meal and a fun experience, give the new Manna BBQ in San Marcos a try, or visit their original Balboa location on Convoy in Kearny Mesa. What you will experience is an incredible, all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ meal where you and your party grill your own meats and vegetables right on the grill that’s in the center of your granite-topped table. And what’s ...

A place of elegance and superb service, de’Medici in the Gaslamp District offers the quintessential continental and Romanesque dining experience. Dishes like Caesar salad, Steak Diane and Bananas Foster are still prepared tableside, and you’ll enjoy it all in a recently remodeled dining room. It features plush new carpeting, wall sconces, chandeliers, a mirrored wall, an ornate ceiling, Italian stone accents, and beautiful, comfortable furnishings. ...

The Mascotti family is now in its third year of their delightful Off the Hook Seafood Grill in Encinitas, and what’s admirable is that they’re not resting on their laurels. Instead they’re evolving all the time, making great fish even better. After obtaining their beer and wine license over a year ago, they came up with another excellent idea: teaming with Baker &amp; Olive (an ...

One of the terrific dining icons in the downtown/Gaslamp area has to be Brian’s 24 Restaurant Bar &amp; Grill. It’s in the historic St. James Hotel, separated from the lobby by a beveled glass window wall. Interior appointments include a beautiful handcrafted mahogany bar obtained from the Joan Crawford estate, a shimmering crystal chandelier above the cozy dining room, and a copper-clad open kitchen. This ...